Struff freezes out Fritz to win first career title

Jan Lennard Struff ignored wintery temperature and an annoying drizzle in Munich to earn the first title of his career at age 33 on Sunday with a 7-5, 6-3 defeat of Taylor Fritz.

The German who turns 34 on Thursday finally earned an ATP trophy as he played in his fourth final.

The No. 28 was playing his third final at home after Munich three years ago and Stuttgart last summer. 

He seized the opening set, winning the last 11 points and saving three Fritz set points to leave his American opponent reeling.

Southern Californian Fritz continued his poor form by dropping the opening game of the second set, eventually going down a double break.

The third seed got one of the breaks back in the eighth game but took the loss a game later as Struff rifled over an overhead winner on match point after 80 chilly minutes.

Struff’s victory backed up his demolition in the semi-finals a day earlier of two-time defending champion Holger Rune.

The German moved through to the trophy without the loss of a set, improving to 16-8 in Munich.

He will move to 24th in the world in Monday’s rankings.”